him milk, and when Solomon _asked_ wisdom, and did
not _ask_ long life, neither _asked_ riches, neither _asked_ the life of
his enemies.) They were now to claim such wages as they could carry off,
and thus the pride of Egypt was presently dedicated to construct and
beautify the tabernacle of Jehovah. We read that the people found favour
with the Egyptians, who were doubtless overjoyed to come to any sort of
terms with them; "moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of
Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the
people." This is no unbecoming vaunt: it speaks only of the high place
he held, as God's deputy and herald; and this tone of keen appreciation
of the rank conceded him, compared with the utter absence of any
insistence upon any action of his own, is evidence much rather of the
authenticity of the work than the reverse.

By these demands expectation and faith were intensified; while the
tidings of such confidence on one side, and such tame submission on the
other, goes far to explain the suspicions and the rage of Pharaoh.

With this the narrative is resumed. Moses had said, "Thou shalt see my
face no more." Now he adds, "Thus saith Jehovah, About midnight" (but
not on that same night, since four days of preparation for the passover
were yet to come) "I will go out into the midst of Egypt." This, then,
was the meaning of his ready consent to be seen no more: Jehovah
Himself, Who had dealt so dreadfully with them through other hands, was
now Himself to come. "And all the firstborn of Egypt shall die," from
the firstborn and viceroy of the king to the firstborn of the meanest of
women, and even of the cattle in their stalls. (It is surely a
remarkable coincidence that Menephtah's heroic son did actually sit
upon his throne, that inscriptions engraven during his life exhibit his
name in the royal cartouche, but that he perished early, and long before
his father.) And the wail of demonstrative Oriental agony should be such
as never was heard before. But the children of Israel should be
distinguished and protected by their God. And all these courtiers should
come and bow down before Moses (who even then has the good feeling not
to include the king himself in this abasement), and instead of Pharaoh's
insulting "Get thee from me--see my face no more," they should pray him
saying, "Go hence, thou and thy people that follow thee." And
remembering the abject entreaties, the infatuated treache